In Decatur

This is a super-minor tweak on an ancient UF Grant trick that everyone and their mistress knows. Forgive me, it’s been a hard winter.

Setup: FD Ace, FD deck, FU 3, rest of FD Aces.

Performance: Riffle down the side of the deck. When someone calls stop, execute the Bobby Bernard tap cut, followed by a flash of the top card of the left hand’s half (the ace originally on top). Once it’s noted, place the right hand packet on top and square up. Using Bernard’s cut as a force is, I believe, a John Bannon idea.

Thanks to the cut, the original setup is now centralized. Spread the cards and show the faceup three. When they deny it to be their card, vow Lucifer will rise again promise to rectify the situation. Cut the spread at the three, bringing it uppermost. Take the top two cards as one–the faceup three and the facedown ace below it–and table them. (Better yet, put them on the card box. It’ll facilitate the pickup in a moment.)

“It’s an indicator card. It indicates that I’m a terrible person.”

Count down three cards onto the table, turning over the third to reveal the selected ace.

“But that’s not all. Sometimes I weep at night until I fall asleep.”

As the spectators laugh, reach over with your right hand and turn over the two dealt cards, the aces. As all focus goes to these cards, your left hand (still holding the deck) turns palm down and picks up the three/ace double. As the hand turns palm up, the ace will come into view. This is a peripheral change–it happens under the misdirection of the right hand turning over the two aces.

In my opinion this is a good opener to a lengthier cups and balls routine.